fly rod weight for trolling pothole lakes?

[fordinski]

getting prepped for the season, buying a small boat and a trolling motor that i can use on the local stocked lakes.

last year on september long me and a buddy were at pierre greys lakes (on the brookie lake), and we were skunked. we had a ragged old canoe and no trolling motor. the old man that was camping right by us advised we needed a boat with a trolling motor, and a fly rod with a sinking line trolling a black wet fly with a lil bit of red on it (apparently thats what brookies love there).

anyways I have a 5 wt rod and an 8 wt rod, but from what im gathering, everyone recommends either a 6 or 7 wt rod for trolling (im assuming its because of the drag on the line that makes the rod bend while trolling??).
1. do you guys think a 5wt rod would be okay for trolling trout around 15-20" in size or so? would an 8wt be too big?

2. how fast of a sinking line should i get? the old man reported catching brookies about 20' deep in 40' of water.

3. anyone know of a sinking line that has length indicators every 10' of line or so? cant seem to find any anywhere, and that would be extremely helpful to find what depth im fishing at at a certain speed.

any help would be greatly appreciated. cheers.

[Bhflyfisher]

Go as light as you want. There are no rules. Trolling a fly line is best done with the rod pointing straight out the back of the boat. There shouldn't be any bend in your rod while trolling. Keep your fingers on the line and twitch the fly every now and then with erratic strips. You'll know when you've got a fish. Make sure you have a hook sharpener, and sharpen all of your trolling flies. A lot of times, setting the hook wont matter with the speed of the boat, however razor sharp hooks will stick immediately. A type 6 or 7 sink line is your best bet. If you're looking to be down 20ft while trolling. Mind you that means having almost your entire spool of line out.

Please be courteous while trolling. Guys anchored, or fishing from shore casting and retrieving/or static fishing need space too. If you notice people catching fish anchored, its unlikely that trolling right through their lane is going to get you a fish. Simply because, they aren't fishing what you're fishing and all it will do when you come over and ask them what they're using, is likely going to be met with a negative response.

[Heron]

Ya if I was just trolling I would go light. A long 4wt might be nice. Just trolling can be mind numbing as I learned in my youth as that is the only way my grandfather fished. Bless him. I carry two rods. A 5 with a dry line to cast to risers if that is happening and a 9'6", 6wt to cast to the side and troll repeatedly on an intermediate sink line. As said you have to have the rod as straight as possible with your hand holding the line. Feeling the take is the best part. If I am desperate I will put a full sink on and dredge the bottom. Never enough rods! Soon.

[Don Andersen]

If my intent to just troll, a spin rod c/w approx. 10 lb. test. The terminal end would have a three way swivel with the bottom leg equipped with a 2' length of leader. The other end of the swivel would have a 6' length of leader to your fly of choice. Adjustment of trolling depth would be readily changed by adding or subtracting weights to the 2' length. I'd start with a selection of weights from 1/4 to 1 oz. This system would certainly be less expensive and deliver the fly at depth a lot easier than a large selection of fly lines.

Regards,


Don

[lambski]

Use your 8 weight, some meat to it when ripping and setting the hook, Also good for punching heavy flies for pike or on windy days. Dont waste your money on another rod. When it comes to line if your fishing pothole lakes type 3 is perfect, i grew up in Hinton and used it everywhere i went!

[kronk]

That old man knew what he was talking about. Also, I found for some reason, counter clockwise works best in that lake.


For trolling, I used (before I destroyed it on a foul hooked salmon) a 5/6 weight with lead core tied to the end. Lets you go deeper with less line out. That lake is only about 30 feet deep in the middle, I believe.

[Mitchthefisher]

I dont think Weight matters to much, i personally use a 6wt and it has always got the job done. I have had the most success trolling with a sink 4 or floating line.

[Flieguy]

match your flies and your fish. Trolling wets or small streamers for little rainbows or cutts, I throw a 3-5wt. 6wt for more serious stuff. most days I use a type 3 sink, but that's usually for 10' of water or so, I have used a type 6 in the past to dredge the bottom pretty deep down. Most lake anglers carry an array of lines with a casette reel (I like a greys), but a type 3 or 4 will do for most situations.